The Mexican football team is through to their first ever Olympic men’s football final after defeating Japan 3-1 at Wembley.

Goals from Marco Fabian, Oribe Peralta and substitute Javier Cortes turned the game around after Japan has taken an early 1-0 lead. It was the first time Mexico had trailed at the London Games and they needed to become the first side to score against Japan, but indeed they did – much to the adulation of Mexican sports fans.

Speaking after the match, playmaker Marco Fabian said:

“This is an unforgettable moment and we are making history. But this is not over yet and we want to go for everything. We want to win the gold now.”

The victory continues a trend started in 2005 when Mexico won the Under-17 World Cup and repeated that success last year. With the Olympics being primarily an Under-23 competition with three overage players allowed, the future is looking bright for the Mexico’s next generation of footballers.

El Tri will compete for an Olympic gold medal against their Latin American rivals Brazil on Saturday, 11th August.